


Nobility

by anthologyofwhat (lea_hazel)



Series: Tales of Wicked Princess [2]
Category: Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Alcohol, Class Issues, Drunkenness, Gen, Orzammar, Power Imbalance, Prompt Fic, Royalty, Women In Power
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-27
Updated: 2013-04-27
Packaged: 2017-12-09 15:52:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/775992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lea_hazel/pseuds/anthologyofwhat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The former Lady Aeducan has an unplanned chat with her, <em>hurk</em>, sister-in-law.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nobility

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HereBeDragons](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HereBeDragons/gifts).



“I’m glad you survived,” said Katren, formerly Lady Aeducan, matter-of-factly. 

“I am glad that you’re glad,” said Rica, who knew her type, earnestly. 

“I admit,” said Katren, leaning heavily on the table and clutching at her heavily-engraved goblet, “I was surprised to see you by his side when I made my, _hurk_ , triumphant homecoming.” 

There was no need for Rica to guess who ‘ _he_ ’ was. “Were you,” she said politely. 

“Shocked, really,” said Katren. “The others, they never, _urgh_ , lasted particularly long. And, and, he seem… Well, he seems downright _fond_ of you. And your little boy.” 

“My lord has always been very kind to me,” said Rica, feeling a twist in her heart at the memory of her infant son. He was back in Orzammar, under the care of her mother and six highly-trained nannies from the oldest, most respected servant caste families in the city. He had everything she could not give him, here in her position as an ambassador to the surface kingdom. 

Lady Chancellor Aeducan hiccuped and finally pushed her cup away, which she probably ought to have done quite a lot sooner. “What I don’t understand,” she said as she rose to her feet, wobbling slightly, “is what _you_ see in _him_.” 

“… _What_?” said Rica, her veneer of courtesy slipping a little too far. 

Katren cleared her throat and shook her head. “You’re, you _were_ , a noble hunter. You’re pretty enough, you clean up nice, and you’re a good deal cleverer than most women of your caste. Unless they’re all excellent liars.” 

Rica wanted to shake her head in answer, but held still. 

“You could have done better,” said the Grey Warden resolutely. Bracing her hands on the embroidered cloth, she pushed herself away from the table and walked away in an imperious zigzag. 

“My lord has been very kind to me,” said Rica again, but the words tasted stale in her mouth, as though they had been repeated so often that all meaning had been wrung from them until nothing was left. 


End file.
